Local Offer

How our setting knows if young children need extra help and what our parents/carers should do if they think their child may have SEND.

Here at Poppets we are able to identify all children’s needs through regular observations and tracking of their development. We also work in partnership with the parents, encouraging them to make their own observations on the child at home and sharing them with us. Parents are always welcome to discuss any concerns with their child’s key person and we will then complete our own observations to back up the parents’ concerns. These will then be presented to our SENCO and Area Senco if extra support is needed.

How our setting support young children with SEN.

We have a designated co-ordinator at Poppets who has experience of working with children with SEND. Our SENCO will work in partnership with not only the parents but also the child and their key person as well as outside professionals such as Area SENCO, Speech and Language therapists and specialist teachers. We hold regular meetings at the setting with everyone involved with the child. These team meetings are held so that everyone knows and understands how the child is developing and agreed targets can be set. Communication is vital and we ensure that we complete handovers with parents and discuss any news/messages with everyone involved.

We have regular visits from our area SENCO who will provide us with feedback on our practice, arrangements and provision is for young children with SEND. We also have regular visits from other professionals involved with the child to observe them within our setting. We have feedback and recommendations made that we act upon immediately.

How our setting creates learning and development opportunities for individual children with SEND.

Within Poppets we very much believe in child led activities, through our observations we are able to see what interest the child and will then plan adult led focused activities to support the child with their development. By talking to parents as we are able to get a better understanding of the child and their likes and dislikes and are able to plan accordingly. At Poppets we believe that every child should have the same opportunities as everyone else. We may need to adapt an activity and make it more accessible but all children will get to have the same experiences at Poppets.

How our Setting works in Partnership with parents/carers.

Communication is vital and at Poppets we always will give a hand over and make the time to discuss things with any parents/carers. Information will only be shared with parents’ permission. When a child starts at Poppets the key person and parents will have a meeting to discuss and go through our child entry pack, we have two parents’ evenings a year however parents are always welcome to arrange a time to look at the child’s learning journal and talk to the key person. If the main carer is not able to attend the setting then we will call, or email them information. Parents will always be sent home a copy of their child’s termly report and in this report the key person will include what the parent can do at home to support the child.

How our setting supports the wellbeing of young children with SEND.

Staff complete daily risk assessments in the rooms before the children enter and around the building and the garden area. If we have a child with a specific need then we would risk assess this as and when needed in partnership with the parent/carer.

Staff encourage and reward positive behaviour. We strive to act as role models to the children in our care and will work alongside parents to find out methods and techniques they might be using at home or work together so that we are all using the same methods to deal with negative behaviour. Medication can only by administered by a level 3 member of staff, if the medication requires training in order for it to be administered then we will ensure that all relevant staff will receive the training. Personal care is provided by the child’s key person or back up key person.

The children at Poppets with SEND communicate their views in a variety of ways. Staff at Poppets are able to pick up on visual prompts from the children and know their key children well enough to understand what the child is feeling and trying to communicate.

Staff Training and Experience in supporting young children with SEND.

At Poppets, Tyla Forbes is currently completing her SENCO training and regularly updates her knowledge and skills through further training. The majority of our staff have had Makaton training and our Nursery Manager, Michelle Pateman has received training in Behaviour Management.

After attending training information is cascaded down to other staff in meetings. All staff have completed safeguarding training as well as First Aid training.

Specialist services and expertise accessed by our setting

At Poppets we access support and guidance from the Area Senco, Speech and Language Therapist, Early Years Foundation Stage Adviser QTS and PSLA Development Officer.

How the setting includes young children with SEND in community based activities and outings.

Trips out will be appropriately risk assessed to assess the children’s needs and abilities. Each child will assessed as an individual and we will plan accordingly.

Our accessible environment.

Poppets is completely accessible to all children, parents and carers. We have wide doors for wheel chair access and the setting is at one level. We could improve on access to the garden but this can be arranged by creating a ramp as access to the garden when needed. The nursery has been redecorated which has given it a brighter feel to the rooms. Resources are all accessible and we have an accessible toilet on site.

How our setting prepares and supports young children with SEND when joining the setting and when transferring to another setting or school.

All children that attend Poppets will have settling in sessions to the nursery, the first session we ask the parents to stay and meet with the child’s key person, this allows us to go through the child entry pack and discuss your child’s routine, likes/dislikes and development. The parent can also meet with our SENCO and between the parent and key person can all discuss the child’s needs. This first session will allow the child to be in the room and meet all of the staff and children and will last an hour. The following session will also be for an hour but we ask the parents to leave the child with us to see how they get on being separated. The next session will be for two hours covering a meal time. We can do more settling in sessions if required before the child starts with us. The key person will complete a 6 week induction report based on observations on the child and will start to plan focused activities based on the child’s developmental needs.

When transferring to another setting the staff work alongside the child, parent and new setting to ensure the transition is a smooth as possible. We will discuss the new settling and show pictures of the setting with the child. When the children are ready to leave for school we have role play including dressing up in school uniform to support the children. Regular visits to the new setting will be encouraged and staff from the new setting will be able to come and visit the child within our setting.

How our setting organises its resources to meet the needs of young children with SEND.

Resources are mostly at the children’s level within the rooms, with easy access to all children. Resources that are deemed as more intricate or more suitable to be adult led are higher up out of the children’s reach. We have a lot of sensory resources and a Sensory room that all children have access to. Specific resources for children with SEND are accessible and visible within the room for all staff to use with the children.

How we involve all parents/carers in our setting.

Parents and carers are involved in many ways within the setting, we always welcome feedback from the parents, and they are encouraged to contribute with their own observations on their child. Parents are kept up to date on activities within the nursery through their child’s daily forms, emails, newsletters and our social media site.